act last night. Miss Spragg."

"I was so taken aback. I thought you were out in Alaska somewhere."

The young man shaped his lips into the mute whistle by which he
habitually vented his surprise. "You DID? Didn't Abner E. Spragg tell
you he'd seen me down town?"

Undine gave him a startled glance. "Father? Why, have you seen him? He
never said a word about it!"

Her companion's whistle became audible. "He's running yet!" he said
gaily. "I wish I could scare some people as easy as I can your father."

The girl hesitated. "I never felt toward you the way father did," she
hazarded at length; and he gave her another long look in return.

"Well, if they'd left you alone I don't believe you'd ever have acted
mean to me," was the conclusion he drew from it.

"I didn't mean to, Elmer ... I give you my word--but I was so young ...
I didn't know anything...."

His eyes had a twinkle of reminiscent pleasantry. "No--I don't suppose
it WOULD teach a girl much to be engaged two years to a stiff like
Millard Binch; and that was about all that had happened to you before I
came along."

Undine flushed to the forehead. "Oh, Elmer--I was only a child when I
was engaged to Millard--"

"That's a fact. And you went on being one a good while afterward. The
Apex Eagle always head-lined you 'The child-bride'--"

"I can't see what's the use--now--."

"That ruled out of court too? See here. Undine--what CAN we talk about?
I understood that was what we were here for."

"Of course." She made an effort at recovery. "I only meant to
say--what's the use of raking up things that are over?"

"Rake up? That's the idea, is it? Was that why you tried to cut me last
night?"

"I--oh, Elmer! I didn't mean to; only, you see, I'm engaged."

"Oh, I saw that fast enough. I'd have seen it even if I didn't read the
papers." He gave a short laugh. "He was feeling pretty good, sitting
there alongside of you, wasn't he? I don't wonder he was. I remember.
But I don't see that that was a reason for cold-shouldering me. I'm
a respectable member of society now--I'm one of Harmon B. Driscoll's
private secretaries." He brought out the fact with mock solemnity.

But to Undine, though undoubtedly impressive, the statement did not
immediately present itself as a subject for pleasantry.

"Elmer Moffatt--you ARE?"

He laughed again. "Guess you'd have remembered me last night if you'd
known it."

She was following her own train of thought with a look of p